Commission welcomes deputy, recognizes Purple Heart recipients

Brandon Newbrough was sworn in as the newest deputy at the Lewis County Sheriff’s Department at the weekly commission meeting. Newbrough was previously employed by Weston Police Department as a patrolman.Newbrough said he wanted to broaden the area he serves. “I wanted to have more opportunities, and serve all of Lewis County, not just Weston,” he said.Sheriff Adam Gissy said he is pleased to have Newbrough as a deputy. “Brandon brings a lot of knowledge to the department, and his personality fits in well,” he said. Gissy added that he feels Newbrough will be a tremendous assets to the community and the sheriff’s department.Lewis County Convention and Visitor’s Bureau Director Chris Richards presented her quarterly report. She reported assistance with several events in the area, including the Almost Heaven BBQ Bash, Jane Lew Spring Arts and Crafts Festival, TALA Easter Egg Hunt, and the Irish Spring Festival, among others.Richards said the CVB has increased social media and internet ads, with 14 ads placed through Facebook, Facebook boosts, Constant Contact, Google Ad Words, YouTube, and calendar of events ads.The CVB received partnership requests from the Jane Lew Volunteer Fire Department for the Jane Lew Spring Arts and Crafts Festival. Richards said they attended three Consumer Travel Shows in Columbus, Ohio, and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They also attended Travel South Showcase, which is a group tour show to attract tour buses to the area.The CVB had 309,203 hits in the past three months. Roughly 82,000 pages were viewed, 47, 702 total visits were made, and 31,292 user sessions occurred. The top five countries to visit the CVB website were the United States, Russian Federation, Canada, France, and India. The top five states were West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Florida, and Texas.Commissioners attended various meetings, including the Lewis County Park Board. Permission was granted to advertise for seasonal help at the park. Water project contracts were signed, and work will begin on the Alum Fork/Laurel Lick project at the end of May. The May 21 commission meeting is now canceled, due to a commissioner’s conference in Wheeling. The next commission meeting will be May 7, at 10 a.m.